Uruguay

I didn't think much of it, and quickly left for Punta del Este, which is considered the French Riviera of Latin America. While the reputation may be well deserved, it's only true during the Summer (December to February). By the time I got there in May, the city was eerily empty.

I knew Cabo Polonio, a small hippy village by the beach would also be empty, but I decided to check it out anyways. I left the next day for Punta del Diablo, which you can probably guess, was empty too.

Only this fishing village wasn't a big city like Punta del Este, nor too small to support tourism in the off-season like Cabo Polonio. It was just right, and I enjoyed a few days of having the beach town to myself.

My last stop in Uruguay was the historic city of Colonia, which is a popular destination for daytrippers from Buenos Aires.

I'd heard Uruguay was expensive, but I was surprised to find that even in the off-season, the cost of travel is higher than Argentina.

Our guide on the bicycle wine tour in Mendoza

More of Argentina

From Uruguay, I crossed back into Argentina and headed west to Rosario, which didn't do much for me. Cordoba was better, and I took a fun day trip to Che Guevara's childhood home in nearby Alta Gracia. His old house is now a museum.

After Patagonia, Mendoza was my second favorite place in Argentina. I took a regular wine tour, and later reviewed a bicycle wine tour too.

Fall was a particularly picturesque time to be there, and if I were to live in Argentina, Mendoza would be the frontrunner.

The Atacama Desert

Chile & The Atacama Desert

The bus from Mendoza to Santiago offered excellent mountain scenery, and I'd recommend it over flying. I spent five days in Santiago, but the pollution was on par with what I'd seen in Hong Kong and China.

People complain about air pollution in Medellin, but it's not nearly as bad. Unfortunately, I left without experiencing the true natural beauty of the surrounding mountains.

The Atacama Desert's scenery was stunning, and it is without a doubt, one of my favorite new destinations of 2012. This is the desert where NASA goes to test their robotic rovers for missions to Mars.

Snow-capped mountains jutting up from the desert landscapes, and multi-colored lagoons were just a few of the scenes I saw. Plus, there are tons of activities on offer, from nightly astronomy tours to sandboarding.

Bolivia

Most backpackers arrange their trips to the Bolivian Salt Flats from Uyuni in Bolivia, but it's also possible to do so from San Pedro in Chile.

My 3-day journey from San Pedro to Uyuni was incredible. Sleeping at an altitude of 4,300 meters the first night left me with painful finger tips for the next week and a half, as my body couldn't adapt to the 2,000-meter altitude difference overnight. Surprisingly, I didn't suffer from much else, such as headaches or nausea.

In a rush to return to Peru, I'd only spend two weeks in Bolivia, when South America's cheapest destination really deserves a solid four to six weeks.

I made an ill-fated attempt at a mining tour in Potosi, the world's highest city, and attempted to bribe my way into San Pedro Prison in La Paz. I also missed out on biking the world's most dangerous road, and hunting for anaconda in the Amazon.

I'd love to see more of Bolivia some day, but I'm not in any rush to get back.

Scarlet Macaw at the Tambopata Research Center

Peru

I returned to Peru via the longest bus ride of my life, from La Paz to Lima. Within a few days, I was suffering severe back pain, resulting in a few visits to an orthopedist.

Back in Lima, unable to sit for long periods of time, due to the pain in my lower back, I didn't get much done.

The cool Winter weather, and the small micro-studio apartment I was renting, weren't conducive to writing. I spent time with friends, and managed to belt out my first karaoke song in Spanish (Colgando en Tus Manos).

A girl poses for her 15th birthday photos at Il Castello in Medellin

Colombia

My last stop on the continent was a brief two-week visit to Medellin. Upon arrival, I immediately remembered why I loved the expat life there, only now I had a much better idea of how it stacked up against other major cities in South America.

I spent my time catching up with friends, trying new restaurants like Carmen and Naan, the city's first Indian spot, and visiting the city's castle and zoo.

Recounting all these experiences, it's hard to believe they all happened within the first eight months of 2012. Check back tomorrow to see how I spent the final four months of the year.

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Comments

Loved my time in South America – although missed a number of the great locations you have listed here! Absolutely loved Peru and Bolivia, although the cosmopolitan feel of Santiago, Chile was pretty great too! Would love to go back and experience more – so much to see and do! Have yet to make it to Medellin, but you have piqued my interest!

It’s so inspiring to read all your blogs, thank you for sharing.Me and my boy friend are planing for a year trip, Latin America, NZ, Asia (only 4 countries)and east Europe, we are wondering if it worth to buy the around world ticket from star alliance or one world for main cities and for the rest use local transport? Any suggestion would be highly appreciated.

I used http://airtreks.com for help booking my first four flights of my RTW trip because I wanted some help while I was doing everything else like selling my stuff and leaving my job and apartment. It was worth it, they have great customer service.

I then booked almost every other flight on my own, via the internet and local airlines as I went (or a country ahead if proof of onward travel was required). In the end, I think the costs would’ve been about the same, but I was able to take my time, and didn’t have to make any commitments to cities/dates months ahead of time.